JP3049618B2 - Air knife device for draining - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air knife device for removing moisture adhering to the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor or an LCD. For example, in the production of silicon wafers, glass substrates for LCDs, etc., it is necessary to remove water (including chemicals) adhering to the surfaces of these substrates (including wafers) after wet processing (etching, cleaning, resist stripping, etc.). is necessary. The present invention relates to an air knife used for such a draining operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air knife as shown in FIG. 8 has been used for draining (drying). In the figure, for example, a substrate 10 transferred from a wet processing station to a draining station S by rollers 11
The water attached to the surface of the (plate-shaped component) is removed by an air knife 13 provided in the draining station S. That is, the air knife 13 has a slit-shaped nozzle 15 having a width substantially equivalent to the width of the plate-shaped component 10.
From 5, air is blown onto the surface of the plate-shaped component 10 at a high speed, and as a result, moisture remaining on the surface of the plate-shaped component 10 is blown off.

When it is necessary to drain water in an inert gas atmosphere, for example, nitrogen gas (N ₂ ) is used instead of air. The draining station is formed by a housing 25 having an inlet 21 and an outlet 23 of the plate-shaped component 10 provided in the middle of the transport path. In the housing 25, air is strongly blown from the air knife 13 to the plate-shaped component 10.

[0004]

However, as described above,
In the conventional air knife structure, the water blown off from the surface of the plate-like component 10 becomes mist and scatters in the housing 25. This splash rides on strong turbulence generated by the air blown from the air nozzle 15 colliding with the plate-shaped component 10, and flows downstream of the air knife 13,
There is a possibility that the moisture may be reattached to the surface of the plate-shaped component 10 from which the moisture has been removed.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent water from re-adhering to such a plate-shaped part and to perform complete drainage. In order to achieve the above object, a drainer that blows gas ejected from a slit-shaped nozzle onto at least one plate surface of a plate-shaped component sent through a transport path to remove a liquid component adhering to a substrate surface. In the air knife device for use, the transport path is opened upstream of the slit nozzle, and a cover plate is provided downstream of the slit nozzle to cover the plate surface of the plate-like component on the transport path. Features above.

Preferably, a heated gas atmosphere for drying the plate-like parts on the conveyance path is formed below the cover plate downstream of the slit-shaped nozzle.

An opening is formed in the cover plate to be connected to a heating gas source, and a heating gas for a heating gas atmosphere is introduced below the cover plate through the opening. Further, a heater for heating a gas for a heated gas atmosphere may be provided on the cover plate.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a housing provided with an entrance for a plate-shaped component to be fed through the transfer path is provided in the transfer path, and at least one plate of the plate-shaped component is provided in the housing. In a draining station provided with a slit-shaped nozzle for spraying a gas onto a surface to remove a liquid component adhering to the substrate surface, the slit-shaped nozzle is located at an upper portion of the housing and on the left and right sides when viewed in the traveling direction of the plate-shaped component. And a gap on the conveyance path is provided upstream of the slit-shaped nozzle.

[0009]

According to the present invention, for example, a means for preventing re-adhesion is provided downstream of the air knife, for example, in the form of a cover plate, so that the air ejected from the air nozzle collides with the plate-like component to form droplets. Even if it scatters, there is no danger that the droplets will re-attach to the drained plate-like component surface.

[0010] By providing the heating means in the downstream area of the air nozzle, draining (drying) of the plate-shaped component can be more complete. As the heating means, a heater may be provided on the cover plate to directly heat the atmosphere, or a heated gas may be fed into the atmosphere.
Also, by attaching the air nozzle to the housing without any gap, the splash can no longer circulate downstream of the air nozzle.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a transport path indicated by an arrow A is formed by, for example, a number of rollers (rollers) 11, and a drain station S according to the present invention is provided in the middle of the transport path.

This draining station has a hollow casing 25.
And an entrance 21 of the plate-shaped component 10 in front of the
The outlet 23 of the plate-like part 10 is formed behind the
Is formed. Accordingly, the plate-shaped component 10 is sent from the wet station (not shown) in the direction of arrow A and passes through the draining station (housing 25).

The housing 25 is provided with an air knife 13 having a slit-like nozzle 15 for blowing clean air (or N ₂ or the like) from the oblique direction to the surface of the plate-like component 10. The width of the air knife 13 is narrowed downward, and a slit-shaped nozzle 15 is formed at the tip. The air knife 13 is connected via a tube 31 to a clean air source (not shown). Although not specifically shown, generally two air knives 13 are provided symmetrically with the plate-shaped component 10 interposed therebetween so as to drain (dry) the upper and lower surfaces of the plate-shaped component 10 at the same time. The housing 25 is provided with one or an appropriate number of duct holes 33 for discharging the air blown out from the nozzles 15.

The above configuration is known. According to the present invention, the cover plate 35 forming the anti-redeposition means is provided downstream of the air knife 13. The cover plate 35 is preferably fixed to both side surfaces of the housing 25 and lies in a plane parallel to the plate-shaped component 10. As a result, the water (including the chemical solution) adhering to the surface of the plate-shaped component 10 is blown off by the air blown out from the air nozzle 15, and the water becomes a mist and scatters to flow downstream of the air knife 13. However, the cover plate 35 does not adhere to the surface of the plate-shaped component 10 again.

As shown in FIG. 2, an appropriate number (at least one) of openings 37 are formed in the cover plate 35, and these openings are connected via a tube 39 to a heating gas source (heating air, heating nitrogen gas, etc.) (not shown). Connect to As a result, a heating atmosphere by a heating gas is formed below the cover plate 35,
Therefore, drying of the plate-like component 10 passing therethrough is further promoted.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show three different embodiments for forming a heating atmosphere. In FIG. 3, a heater 41 is wound in the middle of a tube 39 and passes through the tube 39. The air or nitrogen gas to be heated is heated.
In FIG. 4, a heater 43 is provided on the cover plate 35, and the heater heats the atmosphere below the cover plate 35.

Further, in FIG. 5, an infrared ceramic heater 45 is used as a heater, which is fixed to the lower surface of the cover plate 35. Although the heaters 41 and 43 in FIGS. 3 and 4 are assumed to be ordinary nichrome wire heaters, the configuration of the heaters is not limited to this. In short, it suffices if the heating atmosphere is provided in the downstream area of the air nozzle 13 so that draining (drying) of the plate-shaped component 10 can be further promoted.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a still further embodiment of the present invention.
It is based on the concept of mounting without gaps.
In other words, the upper end of the air nozzle 13 is
The left and right sides of the air nozzle 13 are similarly brought into close contact with the left and right side surfaces 25b, 25b of the housing 25 when viewed from the feeding direction of the plate-shaped component 10.

The air nozzle 13 is generally provided to be inclined with respect to the traveling direction A as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 7, but when the width of the air nozzle 13 is smaller than the width of the housing 25, as shown in FIG. A spacer 50 may be interposed between both sides of the air nozzle 13 and both sides of the housing 25. In short, it suffices if the above-mentioned droplet mist can be prevented from entering the downstream area of the air nozzle 13 by eliminating the gap between the air nozzle and the housing.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A means is provided downstream or near the air nozzle to prevent the splash mist from re-adhering to the dried (drained) plate-like component, so that the spray mist adheres to the once-dried (water-drained) plate-like component. Will not be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view of a principal part showing a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing main parts of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view of a relevant part showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative view of a principal part showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a conventional problem.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Plate-shaped component 13 ... Air knife 15 ... Slit-shaped nozzle 21 ... Plate-shaped component inlet 23 ... Plate-shaped component outlet 23 ... Housing 35 ... Cover plate 37 ... Opening

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/304 F26B 13/18

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plate-like component (10) fed along a transport path
A slit-shaped nozzle (15) on at least one plate surface of
In the air knife apparatus for draining to remove the liquid component adhering to the substrate surface with can blow a gas blown from the conveying path is opened upstream of the slit-shaped nozzle
And transported downstream of the slit nozzle.
A cover plate (35) for covering the plate surface of the plate-like component on the road is provided.
Only by comprising an air knife device for draining, characterized in. 2. The air knife device for draining water according to claim 1, wherein a heated gas atmosphere is formed around a plate-shaped component on a conveyance path below the cover plate downstream of the slit-shaped nozzle. 3. An opening (37) connected to a heating gas source is formed in the cover plate (35), and a heating gas for a heating gas atmosphere is introduced below the cover plate through the opening. The air knife device for draining water according to claim 2, characterized in that: 4. An opening (37) connected to a gas source is formed in the cover plate (35), and a gas for a heated gas atmosphere is introduced below the cover plate through the opening.
The air knife device for draining water according to claim 2, wherein the cover plate is provided with a heater (43, 45) for heating the gas for the heated gas atmosphere. 5. A plate-like part (10) sent along a conveying path.
Doorway and (21, 23) housing (25) having a is provided on the conveying path of adhering to the substrate surface with can blow a gas into at least one plate surface on the plate-shaped parts該筺body in draining station having a slit-like nozzle (15) to remove the liquid component, as viewed in the traveling direction of the plate-shaped parts, without clearance attached Rutotomoni the slit-like nozzles on the top and lateral sides of the housing,
The upper part of the conveyance path is opened upstream of the slit nozzle.
Draining station characterized by comprising Te.